Talk:Report urges Kenya to ban plastic bags/Notes

Email from Donna Dempsey, Exec Director of the Film and Bag Federation to User:IlyaHaykinson:

Hi Ilya:

Regarding the proposed .17 cent tax on paper and plastic grocery bags in San Francisco, the Film and Bag Federation believes there are better solutions to addressing the litter problem San Francisco faces, than a tax. The tax doesn't make sense; it doesn't solve the litter problem, and will punish all consumers for the few who do not dispose of the bags properly.

The bag manufacturers would like to see the grocery shoppers bring their bags back to their grocery store for recycling, where the recycled product can be made into other products, such as plastic decking.

Toward the end of recycling plastic grocery bags, one of our members, Hilex Poly, is investing over 13 million dollars in a bag to bag recycling operation. This means they will be buying back the used bags from the grocery stores; recycling them, and turning them back into bags. Another member, Trex, has been buying back the reused bags for years and turning them into decking, and other plastic composite products.

While the Film and Bag Federation is located in Washington, D.C., FBF members are located all across the US and even in Canada. Lobbying is a small part of the overall comprehensive way the plastic bag industry is looking to work with local and state governments to address the litter problem.

While the FBF does not have a say what is regulated in other sovereignties, such as in Kenya, it is a global market place and we watching what will happen. Again, there are better ways in Kenya and other places to reduce the amount of bags used, such as re-educating the grocery bag checker not to double bag products and on the amount of groceries one bag is made to carry.

Regards,

Donna S. Dempsey

SPI's Film and Bag Federation

//phone number omitted//

plasticbag.com